Career in Physical Therapy
Physical therapists are a growing career and the demand is high. You get to help people to restore their life and function after trauma or accidents. It’s a very rewarding career.
So you have considered choosing a career in health-care and physical therapy might have cross your mind? Physical Therapists (PTs) are health professionals that provide services that restore your motor function, improving mobility, alleviate pain and reducing the chances of immobility for individuals that has suffered motor vehicle accidents, stroke, spinal injuries, and/or just simply to maintain mobility and normal extremities function for elderly. PTs are important members of the health-care interdisciplinary team, especially during the rehabilitation phase.
Education Requirement
In order to qualify as a licensed Physical Therapist, one must obtained at least a master degree from an accredited physical therapy education program. After completion of master degree, the graduates are required to pass a national and state licensing exam. After acquiring the state license, PT has to obtain continuing education credits to maintain their status. There’s also prerequisite for prospective students that wanted to become PT. Although different schools has different requirement and their standards, but most required courses such as anatomy & physiology, biology, chemistry, physics, psychology and mathematics skills to be completed during the undergraduate degree. Top PT programs may also required you to have volunteer experience and show leadership potentials before being considered as potentials students for their program.
According to American Physical Therapy Associations listed over 209 accredited master and doctor degree in Physical Therapy. Master degree usually takes 2 years whereas doctorate degree will takes 3 years. Besides the conventional classroom teaching, students will also have clinical experience through supervised practice at different clinical facilities.
Job Outlook
Employment for physical therapists is growing much faster than other average professions, about 27% through 2016 per Bureau of Labor. Their career outlook is great and most job opportunities will be in acute health-care settings, rehabilitation center, nursing homes and retirement communities.
Their Work
Physical therapists will review an individuals medical history and meet with their client and assess their suitability of different types of physical therapy to help them integrate their life’s back to normal community. They test their client’s strength, balance and coordination, range of motion, and ability to perform activities of daily live (ADL). Some of the therapy that they perform may includes, walking steps, weight training, electric simulations, hot packs or cold compression, and massages.
Earnings Potential
Median annual earning and the industries largest employment of PTs in 2008:
Offices of Other Health Practitioners: $73,980
General Medical and Surgical Hospitals: $73,600
Home Health Care Services: $81,870
Nursing Care Facilities:$76,730
Offices of Physicians: $74,530
Sources:
1. Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2008-09 Edition, Physical Therapists, on the Internet at http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos080.htm
2. American Physical Therapy Association, Internet: http://www.apta.org
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